39 Comments

• Boxerangel | Jan 24, 2012, 12:14 PM EST

  THIS BEAUTIFUL DOG LENNOX NEEDS TO GO HOME AND BE LOOKED AFTER,HE HAS HAD NEARLY 2 YEARS OF A LIVING HELL AT THE HAND S OF THE BELFAST CC,DOGWARDENS AND THE JUDGE. HE HAS NEVER EVER DONE ANY HARM TO ANYONEE OR ANYTHING,HE HAS BEEN PROVEN NOT,TO BE OF PIT BULL TYPE(SO WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE ON JUDGE,I DONT KNOW!)NOT THAT THAT SHOULD MATTER, THE POINT IS,HE IS INNOCENT OF EVERYTHING HE WAS TAKEN FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE,DOGWARDENS AND SO-CALLED BEHAVIOUR PERSON LIED IN COURT ,ON THAT ALONE HE SHOULD BE FREE.WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU IRELAND WILL YOU NOT STOP THIS NONSENSICLE BEHAVIOUR UNTIL YOU MURDER HIM.CAN NOT BELIEVE ANY REPUTABLE VET WOULD DO THIS TO A POOR INNOCENT DOG THAT HAS BEEN ABUSED AT THE HANDS OF THE SO-CALLED LAW.HE IS NOTHING LIKE THE DOG HE USED TO BE,ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS,SORES THIN,WHAT IS GOING ON,IS THERE NO LAWYER OUT THERE THAT CARES AND WILL TAKE THESE PEOPLE TO TASK!!!!! AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE AND MORE 3 RD WORLD THAAN THE 3RD WORLD COUNTRIES THEMSELVES!!!! JUST UNBELIEVABLY BARBARIC AND CRUEL BEYOND WORDS.... NO GOD WILL FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS IF YOU CARRY ON THIS PATH BELFST CC................

• vickipitty | Oct 30, 2011, 06:14 AM EDT

  omg reading what some of these silly gooses that have no i dears about pittys an the nature makes me sick.... mmm me thinks the country may need a clean out but not of your dogs..... poor lennox an his owners have gone through so much... some of u carry on these dogs attack kids mmmm yer if their human owners have done wrong by the dog may be humans fault... just like a man that would kill a child hay..... i agree this dog is no pitty an should not wear that label but there should be no label to start with because the dog isnt the prob the drug dealer or dog fighter who draged bashed starved the dog is...human owner!!!!! so why blame a breed of dog its a breed of human thats the issue... an if a person can watch a dog kill or get killed or even kill a dog could do the same to a human.... poor lennox an his little girl an family this little girl will never live the same life without Lennox what if she gives up????? who will answer then......? so has it been appealed is there any hope for this poor pup an his girl plus family?

• mok1030 | Oct 12, 2011, 05:30 PM EDT

  Any Pit owner would take one look at Lennox and know he is not a PIT he is american bull ( think spude mckinzie of budweizer beer fame a few years back) and lab. as is proven by his DNA test. your reporting is as biased as FOX news is over here. disgraceful! get your information verified and your facts right before going to print and you will not recieve so much angry email in response.

• mok1030 | Oct 12, 2011, 05:27 PM EDT

  i think your reporting is biased and left much out!!! like the photos and video that we over here across the pond saw on facebook and savelennox.co.uk- these photos an dvideo tell the whole truth about lennox character as passive and tollerant of abuse at the hands of strangers. Lennox has been DNA proven not to be PIT- his history shows no aggression, he is a service dog for a disabled child. judge derek "believe-a-lie" rodgers needs to be not only fired but disbarred for allowing purgery in his court. What Lennox has suffered at the hands of the BCC is reprehinsable to say the least. the BCC should fix this sin by letting Lennox go home and publically appologizing to the Barnes family. Shoot even if Lennox could not go home then why the hell not let him go live outside of the district where he is safe from the hands of the BCC morons! Murdering Lennox would be the greatest miscarriage of your so called justice system there.

• garrettmf | Oct 10, 2011, 12:23 PM EDT

  The judge is totally unfair. Dogs, like people, have their own personality - not just ruled by DNA. My heart goes out to the family.

• Prayerful | Oct 04, 2011, 02:01 PM EDT

  My Toy Poodle got a lifesaving blood transfusion, last week, from a Pitbull. Maybe I should go ahead and 'knock Sparky in the head' just in case?

• Ravaraglen | Oct 04, 2011, 01:33 PM EDT

  Perhaps Prayerful could have a chat about DNA with Whiteycat whose darling chihuahua sounds more Pitbull than Lennox ever was. I'll light a candle that all is well :)

• Prayerful | Oct 04, 2011, 12:03 PM EDT

  Why are you reporting that Lennox is a Pitbull when it has been DNA PROVEN that he is NO PART Pitbull?

• oaklongan | Oct 04, 2011, 02:08 AM EDT

  Eire2009: Your opening comments; what I was thinking... "I certainly hope they are able to win on appeal. The dog in question has never bitten or attacked anyone -- including the animal warden who decided the dog is too dangerous. A lot of dogs isolated from their owners and placed in an artificial environment with unfamiliar faces would undoubtedly act in a similar way. I could understand the need to put down this dog if he had gotten loose and attacked people, but this is not the case at all." Frickin' clueless authorities !!!

• dublinguy | Oct 03, 2011, 07:20 PM EDT

  The sad side of this story is the dog is being punished for looking like a pitbull, and of course the dog is going to react in anger towards the 2 clowns that tried to examine him, after all they did take him from a comfortable home to a dark & damp cage and no human contact, the council morons are getting just what they deserve, just make sure the next letter thats sent to council members has a block of c4 attached to it.

• Pittsburghkid | Oct 03, 2011, 05:51 PM EDT

  KILL THE DOG. Pit bulls are an American breed of fighting dog. They as a breed are train to kill. Their jaws are very powerful. Their main tactic is to bite what every they can get a hold of, and not let go. If they bite your leg, then they will continue to bite until the bone brakes, and tear off the leg. These dogs are the favorite of drug dealers. In America, dogs fights are done by Pit Bulls. No other breed will fight a Pit Bull. In America, if a Pit Bull is lose, then we call the Police to kill it.

• Pittsburghkid | Oct 03, 2011, 03:47 PM EDT

  I think it's a lot of bull. Has the dog ever actually been vicious toward humans? I can only imagine how terrified and defensive he is feeling. locked away in a strange cage, being stared at by strangers, and not seeing the family he knows and loves. That would make ME cranky and prone to bite.

• nicgearailt | Oct 03, 2011, 02:53 PM EDT

  there are no bad dogs..just bad owners..I believe that ..you have to do the work and train your dogs when they are young.not everyone does..

• greensod | Oct 03, 2011, 12:17 PM EDT

  Killing this dog makes me ponder just who is the animal.A better solution can be reached,it just takes a little effort.

• iceire57 | Oct 03, 2011, 11:45 AM EDT

  Some of the comments here are just total poppycock,when will ye people learn it is how they are raised,oh my gawd,get a clue people,I have had 2 pittys and all loved humans and got along brilliantly with other animals and Lennox is not a pitty,only looks like one,ever hear the saying (Dont judge a book by it's cover for looks can be deceieving) and that is wot is going on here,humans are such an ignorant species.

• seagreen | Oct 03, 2011, 11:30 AM EDT

  I agree with the judge.. These animals have been ripping and tearing humans apart since they were bred. Just this week three more deaths in the US, including a small child in Connecticut. Get the girl another pet. Would you like to be in the judge's shoes ? He is smart enough to choose the child's life over the dog. It is now time for those second guessing the judge to think what the consequences will be if THEY are wrong (none for them)

• whiteycat | Oct 03, 2011, 11:27 AM EDT

  To WHATLSINANAME;;A boston bull terrier also will bite and not let go. Their jaws lock. Would you be afraid of a boston?You would be scared to death of my chihuahua who will bite if she doesnt want you to touch her.

• badolan | Oct 03, 2011, 11:19 AM EDT

  As a pit bull owner for many years, these types of reports don't surprise me. Many of Micheal Vicks dogs went on to become therapy dogs. Again, knowing the breed, this doesn't surprise me - at all. The first pit bull I ever met was a pit bull. The problem is not with this breed but with irresponsible owners. The next thing ya know, the Irish will ban firearms, Harley Davidsons and fireworks.

• whiteycat | Oct 03, 2011, 11:18 AM EDT

  What a load. I own a chihuahua and I defy any cop or warden to try and examine her in her home. She would bite anyone who touches her that she doesnt want to touch her.Someone want to say she is a public menace? IM ashamed to call myself Irish.

• turzovka | Oct 03, 2011, 09:57 AM EDT

  Who cares how pitbulls are bred. The fact of the matter is this type of dog has killed or injured many children and adults. Just because the dog is loyal to its owners does not mean it is not an intimidating and potentially lethal and unpredictable menace to strangers. If this family or any family had any compassion for the general public and its own children it would procure a dog, any dog, besides a pit bull. I am sick and tired and angry reading of all the tragedies here in the USA with these kinds of dogs. I am also a bit perplexed how much compassion and care the public has for an unfortunate animal, far more than many stories involving the suffering and plight of children in poor nations.

• irishtonyo | Oct 03, 2011, 09:54 AM EDT

  A point of note here is that this refers to northern Ireland, where Pit Bulls and cross breeds are illegal for completely illogical reasons. Pit bulls are by their true nature very gentle and child friendly dogs and are only turned vicious by people who should not own dogs. This does not apply in the South where they are not illegal.

• Colliegirl | Oct 03, 2011, 09:46 AM EDT

  Pit bulls were bred to be aggressive and fight BULLS, not people. In fact, even when fighting they had to be able to be safely handled by their owners. They can be trained to fight other dogs or even humans, but they aren't naturally aggressive toward people unless purposely trained or bred to be so. They are generally loyal and loving toward family members. If they are normally socialized and raised around small dogs, cats, and young children they aren't a danger to them. Why did the authorities get involved in this case anyway? Did the dog attack someone?

• TheOldPerfessor | Oct 03, 2011, 09:37 AM EDT

  This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice. Don't these people have something to do in solving actual problems?

• Waterford | Oct 03, 2011, 09:25 AM EDT

  People make dogs aggressive, rarely and I do mean rarely, are they born that way. If Ireland doesn't like "pitbulls spay and neuter them and time will take care of that breed. BYW it's not a breed but a mix of several terriers.

• mysonsmum | Oct 02, 2011, 11:20 PM EDT

  In response to the post from JohnKinMD: People are known to turn on people!! MAN is the reason why some dogs are aggressive, not because they are born a certain breed. If Lennox has never bit anyone or had any complaints then he should not have been seized.

• Scoop22 | Oct 02, 2011, 05:59 PM EDT

  You say: Judge Rodgers told the court that he could not be satisfied that Lennox did not pose a threat to the public after listening to reports of attacks on a dog warden and a former Metropolitan Police dog handler who examined Lennox. When did Rodgers ever see the dog? He didn't make any first hand findings but based on hearsay from 3 dog wardens who couldn't get their stories straight, one dog warden outwardly lied saying the dog was aggressive and she was afraid of it when a 20 minutes video showed exactly the opposite, her playing with a friendly dog, allowing him to lick her face (when's she being charged with perjury) and a unstable fool who's no expert, not an animal behaviorist who whined that the people were looking at him (they couldn't believe how foolish he was) and he's unqualified per law to testify as an expert as he lacks a college degree and proper training. Verdict and sentence obtained by fraud---law dictates---mandates---it be overturned Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Belfast-fury-as-Judge-orders-that-disabled-girls-pet-dog-be-put-to-sleep-130933533.html#ixzz1ZfDuSZWz

• Eire2009 | Oct 02, 2011, 05:21 PM EDT

  I certainly hope they are able to win on appeal. The dog in question has never bitten or attacked anyone -- including the animal warden who decided the dog is too dangerous. A lot of dogs isolated from their owners and placed in an artificial environment with unfamiliar faces would undoubtedly act in a similar way. I could understand the need to put down this dog if he had gotten loose and attacked people, but this is not the case at all. This is another sad example of the failed breed-specific polices of the UK government. The number of dog bites and attacks have not gone down since the UK Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and N.I. Dangerous Dogs Order 1991 were enacted but actually have increased! It is hoped Lord Redesdale's sponsored bill currently in the House of Lords reaches fruition sooner rather than later to repeal this antiquated Act. Perhaps Northern Ireland would then follow suit as well. As for the present situation would hope someone in higher authority will have a heart and intervene on this child's behalf. well.

• sirpeter | Oct 02, 2011, 03:48 PM EDT

  The fact of the matter is that an animal has a mind of it's own.Any animal no matter how non-aggressive is capable of attack especially if it is feeling unwell.It's many a farmer was killed by his own bull because he thought he knew the personally of his own animal.Pit-bulls are very efficient at killing and no pit-bull can be trusted 100%.Simple as that.Dogs don't consider themselves a pet or some sort of play thing.They consider themselves part of the pack/family and all are deadly serious about it.

• whatISinAname | Oct 02, 2011, 03:39 PM EDT

  Here cry over these three dogs who were put to sleep and were "never before been aggressive" NY Post Oct 2 WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- A 20-month-old southern Connecticut girl was mauled to death after being attacked by as many as three pit bulls. The child was visiting her aunt's apartment in West Haven when the attack occurred Friday, authorities told WVIT-TV. She was pronounced dead at Yale-New Haven Hospital. As many as three dogs were involved in the fatal attack and those animals have been euthanized, WVIT reported. A West Haven police officer said the dogs had been put into another room when the girl was visiting but somehow managed to get out. An investigation is underway, police said. The girl's aunt told The New Haven Register that the dogs had never before been aggressive, but neighbors told police they had previously seen signs of aggression.

• whatISinAname | Oct 02, 2011, 03:35 PM EDT

  Here cry over thee three dogs. "the dogs had never before been aggressive" http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/conn_child_mauled_to_death_s6irLsB3Rr8k1D0bG6jw1L

• whatISinAname | Oct 02, 2011, 02:40 PM EDT

  Amazing the attention over a dog, especially a breed of dog know for grabbing hold and not letting go of peoples and other animals throats. To bad we cant apply the same outrage to the rape and murders that humans inflict on each other. 100,000 online supporters to save the dog. What a waste.

• petcollectibles | Oct 02, 2011, 02:04 PM EDT

  Have you actually seen the photo evidence of the dog warden who said she was attacked. She said under oath in court that she was afraid of Lennox yet she is seen stroking, cuddling and getting kisses from Lennox. He also placed his paw on her leg craving human affection. The judge ignored this evidence and behavioural evidence for the defence saying Lennox was a friendly dog: http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j328/petcollectibles/lennox1.jpg

• cuddlybuddly | Oct 02, 2011, 12:48 PM EDT

  No you cannot do this to the child...this is appalling, the judge is only covering his ass- this dog needs to be watched not killed...oh my God what kind of ingnorant judges do we have in this country? no... appeal this decision immediately on the grounds of total heartlessness to a disabled child...you CANNOT put a child through this..enough suffering...a crime in and of itself

• biggles008 | Oct 02, 2011, 12:21 PM EDT

  Put down the dangerous pit-bull before he turns on the girl. Caroline, get her a non dangerous dog.

• donal1951 | Oct 02, 2011, 12:08 PM EDT

  All I ask is that Lennox be judged by his own actions, not by his breed. I know that some pit bulls can be nasty, but I've met many who were great family pets and got along very well with this visitor to their homes. And as an earlier poster said, pit bull is vague. There is a real breed, recognized by the United Kennel Club, called the American Pit Bull Terrier. The American Kennel Club, the largest dog registry in the USA, recognizes a similar breed, the American Staffordshire Terrier. Both breeds, which really are one and the same, perform well at dog shows and do not attack anyone. For those old enough to remember "The Little Rascals" on TV, the dog in that children's show was a pit bull.

• braxton | Oct 02, 2011, 11:30 AM EDT

  What a disgusting act of Maladministration, Malfeasance, Misfeasance, Perjury, Corruption by this Gov and Council.. l would sue them with the lot...This child is disabled her dog her therapeutic therapy.The wording American pit bull terrier’ or ‘pit bull terrier’ used as an easily identifiable breed of dog is clearly vague and in no way sufficiently clear and precise therefore violates equal protection and due process, by not stipulating specific guidelines to inhibit Councils Animal Control Officers from enforcing the law in an arbitrary or discriminatory fashion and on the ground that the ordinance's definition of an American pit bull terrier’ ,pit bull terrier, is on its face unconstitutionally vague or void due to vagueness.

• JohnKinMD | Oct 02, 2011, 10:44 AM EDT

  theraine1, do you live in Belfast and know this dog and little girl? Pit bulls are know to turn on people.

• theraini1 | Oct 02, 2011, 10:06 AM EDT

  No one who has followes this beleives the dog was ever a threat...The not very bright wardens...first went to wrong address..When the people and dogs were pleasant the police were told to leaves..The wardens had tea and played with the dogs in the home...Fumbled with a seamstress tape..That is supposed to prove the dog is a pit bull...Couldn't measure the friendly active dog..Then to the families shock...she wobbled her giant backside away...poor Lennox beside her on a leash..Never to be seen by an honest human again...In years he never had a complaint...If I Lived in Belfast I would be enraged...BSL is BS when it's honest..This is a case of a bumbling fool and a government building a pack of lies to avoid a suit after this went to far...I travel abroad once a year..The British Isles were at the top of my most wanted to go places...Now Belfast brings bile to the back of my throat..These bumbling incompetants have destroyed a little girls trust in authority..She knows her dog of five years...she saw what the less than average IQ warden did...I And I'm sure many of the 120,000 people who signed the free Lennox petition will never visit...and even a small fraction will make a dent....If they kill this little girls dog, I hope it won't be long until Karma turns..and I hope we get to see that justice ...

• colkelley | Oct 02, 2011, 09:36 AM EDT

  Sorry for the dog and sorry for the girl, but a Pit Bull that attacks two people IS a danger not only to society at-large but also to the girl and her parents. It does not matter what breed a dog is if it is vicious, but the destructive capability of a Pit Bull - genetically bred to do the most damage possible - is such that greater care must be exercised. I have known Pit Bulls that were loving, wonderful pets who would not even defend themselves, much less attack anyone...but I have also shot and killed a Pit Bull after it killed a neighbor's dog and was headed for the neighbor, intent on the same sort of attack. In many cases it is the owner's upbringing and training of the dog that brings out the inherent aggressiveness. Again, sorry, but in this case I agree completely with the ruling.